Shows
The PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 25: Photographing the Great Gray Owl Irruption and Mastering Depth of FieldEvery few years various species of birds come spilling out of the far north into more southerly locations in mass. Most of these birds are specialists, species who are so finely tuned to life in the boreal and arctic world but whose survival rests upon finite food resources. In the far north, where the perils of winter dictate all, when natural boom-and-bust cycles occur, the populations of species as diverse as great gray owls, boreal owls, northern hawk owls, snow owls, black-backed woodpeckers, three-toed woodpeckers, pine siskins, white-winged crossbills, evening grosbeaks, and boreal chickadees, ebb and flow with those...2025-01-311h 02The PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 24: Lessons from Predators and the Art of ConcealmentIn season one of the PhotoWILD Podcast, we talked about how we prefer not to use camouflage in the field, relying instead upon our body language and behavior to help keep animals calm. However, there are times in which camouflage is a necessity in wildlife photography. Whether it’s working with animals that experience hunting pressure or photographing sensitive situations such as nests and dens that require the upmost stealth and concealment for the protection of the animals, camo is a tool that should be used strategically.
Not all camouflage is created equally, however. Most of it is...2025-01-1546 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 23: Tundra Swans and Mastering Birds in Flight
For birds, wind dictates everything
Studying wind speed and direction can have dramatic impacts on your photography if you pair that knowledge with an understanding of light and your backgrounds
In order to move beyond creating cliche and trite images of birds in flight, we have to begin exorcizing creative compositional strategies
Sometimes the most beautiful images come about as we are forced to overcome challenges in the field
Kicking off season 2 of the PhotoWILD Podcast, Jared and Annalise discuss spending a week immersing themselves in the world of tundra swans...2025-01-021h 06The PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 22: Understanding Wildlife Behavior is the Secret SauceEthology is the study of animal behavior. As wildlife photographers, what could be more important to our success in the field? Things like autofocus systems and exposure, while important, are the most rudimentary aspects of the craft. The ability to create in-focus photographs that are properly exposed only means you are now able to properly use the equipment in your hand. This doesn’t translate into a compelling or beautiful photograph any more than learning how to hold a paintbrush and mix paints allows you to create the next great masterpiece.
In this episode of the PhotoWILD po...2024-05-061h 03
Bird’s Eye ViewS2 E18: I Put Down Roots With My Heart. Birds and Bears with conservation photojournalist Annalise Kaylor.Annalise Kaylor is a wildlife photographer and conservation photojournalist whose work has taken her around the world! We chat about her love for birds, her recent lifers, and her work with bears. She gives great tips and suggestions about staying safe in bear country. Thank you, Annalise! Follow these links to learn more about Annalise and listen to her podcast...Annalise Kaylor WebsiteThe PhotoWILD Podcast and PhotoWILD MagazineGreat books recommended by and comments by Annalise... An Immense World by Ed Yong - probably one of the best n...2024-05-011h 23The PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 21: Photographing Bald Eagles and why Manual Makes Everything EasierHighlights
Photographing birds in flight happens one of two ways: incidentally or purposefully. If you are serious about creating these types of photographs, then you need to set yourself up for success first.
Eagles come together in huge aggregations based around the two primary driving forces on Earth: food and sex.
It’s these aggregations that give us the best opportunity for photographing eagles, especially in flight.
To be successful at photographing birds in flight, we need to simplify everything we are doing.
Using exposure settings like aperture priority or...2024-04-0752 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 19: The LOST EPISODE. Creating thoughtful outdoor studios, working with flash, and hummingbirds of the tropics
things hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are some of the most extraordinary families of birds in the world whose natural history often defies belief
Understanding the natural history of these species is important for trying to sell photographs of these birds as 99% of photographs we see of hummingbirds are created with non-native species in situations that would never occur in the wild
Understanding how to use flash will dramatically elevate your bird photography, especially when working with hummingbirds
Flash is one of the most important creative tools we wield as visual artists
...2024-03-2558 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 20: Weather is the biggest predictor of wildlife behavior in the winter Key Takeaways
Animals live or die by the ways in which they respond to changing weather
Wildlife photographers can dramatically increase their success rate in the field by understanding how animals are going to behave, feed, move, and react to weather
Barometric pressure is often the most reliable predictor of wildlife behavior in the winter months
Let’s face it: if you can’t find animals to photograph then you are going to have a very tough time being a wildlife photographer. It doesn’t matter how sophisticated your autofocus system is or h...2024-03-1559 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 18: The Cloud Forests of Panama and Thinking CreativelyIn this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss their time photographing rare and endemic species in the cloud forests of Panama. Forget everything you think of about the tropics when it comes to exploring the forests that grow at 8,000 feet in the mountains. Dripping with moss and bromeliads, the high mountain peaks are like islands in the sky. Each mountain holds its own menagerie of endemic species and thanks to the elevation, each and everyone must be cold adapted despite being so close to the equator.
Working from purpose built blinds to photograph species of birds that are r...2023-12-2650 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 17: Shooting the Moose Rut in Denali and Conquering Noise in the FieldOn this episode, Jared and Annalise talk about photographing the moose rut inside Denali National Park. Come September, once the national park bus system shuts down, wildlife photographers can drive the first 30 miles of the park. This gives us access to the prime moose rut area as well as caribou, lynx, wolves, ptarmigan, spruce grouse, and so much more. The only catch is, you have to camp.
99% of the moose rut takes place at night. When we find and photograph moose this time of the year during the day, these situations are truly the very end of t...2023-12-1457 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 16: Artificial Intelligence is Revolutionizing Birds in Flight PhotographyIn this episode, Jared and Annalise do a deep dive into how camera companies are adding Artificial Intelligence to our autofocus systems and the ways in which this is truly revolutionizing wildlife photography. Making several treks by boat to a horned puffin colony this summer to experiment with the new autofocus modes that capitalize on this new technology, Jared and Annalise discuss how this has dramatically improved action photography like birds in flight.
Photographing puffins in flight is a challenge for every photographer. Small and fast, flying at nearly 60mph, there is nothing easy about keeping up...2023-10-1758 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 15: Staying Safe in Bear County and Mastering SilhouettesIn this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss everything photographers need to know about the natural history of brown bears and how to stay safe when working in bear country. Do you know about Overt Reaction Distances? Bear bubbles? The signs and behaviors of bears we should all know to keep ourselves safe? This episode covers all of that. From the research on the efficacy of bear spray versus firearms to how food sources drive behavior, this episode is a must listen for anyone who spends time in bear country.
Moving beyond the biology of bears and what...2023-09-221h 04The PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 14: Coastal Brown Bears in AlaskaIn this episode, Jared and Analise begin their series on photographing brown bears along the coast of Alaska. Wildlife photographers the world over know about the legendary opportunities the combination of salmon and bears provide. From July through September, wildlife photographers willing to go the extra mile, willing to hop on bush planes and float planes and travel to the remote wilderness of this landscape are presented with what can be non-stop action photographing bears as they fish for salmon - the lifeblood of this ecosystem.
This year in Lake Clark National Park, Jared and Annalise found t...2023-09-071h 09The PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 13: Preparing for Bears and User QuestionsIn this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss some of the unique equipment that they always bring with them when photographing coastal brown bears. Far from being something that is only applicable to bear photography, however, this piece of gear is a vital part of how they photograph wildlife in many different situations. Since the release of the podcast, many of the questions that come through to PhotoWILD have to do with camera equipment and one question keeps coming up over and over again: how and why do we chose the equipment that we use? Jared and Annalise take a...2023-08-241h 17The PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 12: Notes from the Edge of the WorldIn this episode, Jared Lloyd and Annalise Kaylor talk shop after spending 10 days on boats photographing in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska. Kenai Fjords is one of the most dynamic landscapes on Earth and plays home to an extraordinary diversity of wildlife from marine mammals to pelagic seabirds. The PhotoWILD crew timed their expedition to the edge of the world for the peak of the orca migration. Following huge schools of chinook salmon, each day was filled with countless orca sightings in addition to humpback whales, Stellar sea lions, harbor seals on icebergs, sea otters, three species of puffin...2023-08-0952 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 11: Bird Photography in the Prairie PotholesIn this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss their time photographing in one of the most endangered habitats in North America: the prairie potholes. Spending several days working from floating blinds photographing waterfowl such as ruddy ducks, redheads, and blue winged teal in peak breeding plumage along with various species of grebes, Jared and Annalise talk shop about the extraordinary biographies of their favorite species from this trip as well as the challenges they faced and how wildlife photographers can overcome them in their own photography. The prairie potholes are one of the chief priorities for conservation organizations ranging from...2023-07-2748 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 10: Floating What?Sometimes it's the ancillary equipment, all the other stuff we use in the field, that can be the most important pieces of equipment we own. As wildlife photographers working in the 21st century, we are bombarded by marketing and advertising for the latest greatest cameras and lenses. Should we buy this camera? Should we switch camera manufacturers? "If only we had ___ lens, our photography would be so much better!" But the truth of the matter is that the equipment you already have in your hands will get the job done. Working professionals like ourselves used to use manual focus...2023-07-1249 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 9: Everyone Loves OwlsIn Episode 9 of the PhotoWILD Podcast, Jared and Annalise discuss their time along the coastal plain of North Carolina before heading to Alaska to lead their Wildlife of Kenai Fjords Workshop. Spending several weeks working in the pocosin swamps of Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and the Albemarle - Pamlico peninsula, barred owls proved to be the star of the show. The area is better known by wildlife photographers for playing home to the densest concentration of black bears. Far from being a one trick pony, however, in the springtime this area can be one of the best wildlife...2023-06-281h 07The PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 8: The Mountain Monarchs of YellowstoneIn this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss everything you could ever hope to know about photographing bighorn sheep. Given the extraordinary amount of snowfall in the Yellowstone this past winter, the bighorn sheep opportunities were truly incredible. Jared and Annalise spent two months this winter in Yellowstone and much of that time was spent working with and photographing these mountain monarchs.
Key Takeaways
Where to find bighorns in the winter and why you will find them in the same place every year
The biggest conservation challenges facing bighorn sheep today
Winter brings unique challenges, but none mo...2023-06-1459 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 7: Moose Mayhem in YellowstoneIn this episode of PhotoWILD Podcast, Jared and Annalise talk about all things moose. Photographing moose was a big priority for them during their two months spent working in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem this past winter. And when it comes to photographing these swamp donkeys, timing is everything and there are a host of unique challenges we all face when when creating compelling images of these animals - especially in the winter.
Key Takeaways
Timing is everything. Moose are the first species to drop their antlers in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. If you want bull moose i...2023-05-311h 03The PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 6: Winter Challenges with Wildlife PhotographyWinter brings a host of different challenges for us wildlife photographers. More often than not, we tend to think of enduring the cold and slippery road conditions as the big challenges of winter. However, when it comes to photographing animals this time of year, there is so much more to overcome than just our own physical comfort. Quite frankly, the very nature of physics is working against us this time of year.
Key Takeaways
Snow absorbs more red light than other colors. This tends to give snow, especially in low light conditions, a blue tint that c...2023-05-1759 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 5: Preparing for YellowstoneIn episode 5 of the PhotoWILD Podcast, Jared Lloyd and Annalise Kaylor discuss what it takes to plan a trip to Yellowstone National Park in the winter. This year, they spent a month photographing wildlife in this winter wonderland and discuss the many different considerations they make for preparing for their time there. From equipment choices to timing based on statistical averages for weather, if you have ever wanted to photograph in Yellowstone in the winter, you won’t want to miss this episode.
Key Takeaways
While the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has the greatest species diversity of...2023-05-0356 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 4: Photographing Pelagic Seabirds in PanamaIn this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss photographing pelagic seabirds at a nesting colony along the Caribbean Coast of Panama. While many different species utilize the island, the red-billed tropicbirds and brown boobies stole the show. The word “pelagic,” means open ocean. These are species of birds that spend their entire lives on the wing out over the ocean, returning to land only once a year to breed. Of all the many species of birds around the world, pelagic seabirds are both the least understood and also the most threatened group of birds on the planet.
Key Take...2023-04-1959 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 3: Sloths and Poison Dart Frogs along the CaribbeanJoin Jared Lloyd and Annalise Kaylor as they travel from the Pacific Coast of Panama to the Caribbean. The northeast of Panama is a world apart from the rest of the country. Remote. Accessible only by boats. The region is characterized by warm and crystalline blue waters filled with coral reefs, lush lowland rainforest, and countless islands that has led the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute to refer to the place as the Galapagos of the Caribbean.
The Bocas del Toro region of Panama holds an extraordinary display of biological diversity - especially in the form of amphibians...2023-04-0639 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 1: Pre-Production for a month in PanamaThere is so much that goes into planning a photography trip. It doesn’t matter if you’re heading out for the afternoon in the field or taking off on a monthlong expedition to some exotic destination, when it comes to what we do, there are always decisions to make and chief among those is what equipment to bring and why.
2023-04-0639 minThe PhotoWILD PodcastEpisode 2: Photographing Monkeys on the Panama CanalJared and Annalise spent over week working from small native skiffs along the Panama Canal and Lago Gatun in search of monkeys and snail kites. The challenge with photographing monkeys is multifaceted. They are fast, which requires a solid focusing strategy and the ability to keep up. They make their living in the dark recesses of the rainforest where overcast days make things simpler in terms of handling highlights and shadows, but force us to work at extremely high ISOs that can exceed 20,000. The environment these animals live in is complicated, cluttered, and filled with distractions. All of these...2023-04-061h 15